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Newly Ordained Deacon Has Hopes of Being Navy Chaplain

Newly Ordained Deacon Has Hopes of Being Navy Chaplain

Last updated on: June 9, 2026 at 8:33 pm by William Hemsworth

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Newly Ordained Deacon Has Hopes of Being Navy Chaplain 2026-06-09T20:33:35-07:00 William Hemsworth

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EAST LANSING, MI – The Reverend Mr. Paul Keenan, ENS, USN, a candidate for Catholic priesthood and United States Military chaplaincy, was ordained a transitional deacon on Saturday, June 6, in his home Diocese of Lansing, MI. The new deacon is on track to be ordained a priest next year and hopes eventually to serve as a Catholic chaplain in the U.S. Navy, providing pastoral care to Catholic Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and their families. [Watch the video.]

“I felt the Lord calling me to follow Him closely,” the Rev. Mr. Keenan said, “sharing life with Him deeply and seeking to make His love visible to others.” He celebrated his diaconal ordination at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church through the laying of hands and the prayer of consecration invoking the Holy Spirit by Bishop Earl Boyea. Auxiliary Bishop Joseph L. Coffey of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), concelebrated the 10:30 a.m. ordination Mass. Among those in attendance were the new deacon’s parents, John and Eleanore Keenan, his brother, John-Henry Keenan, and sister, Mary-Grace Keenan.

The Rev. Mr. Keenan, 30, who holds bachelor’s degrees in German and Philosophy, is now pursuing a Master of Divinity (MDiv) and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (STB) at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Upon presbyteral ordination next year, he will serve three years in his home Diocese of Lansing, gaining hands-on pastoral experience before acceding to active duty under his Co-sponsored Seminarian Agreement with that diocese and the AMS. “I am most excited to start preaching the Good News of the gift of God’s incredible love for every person,” he said.

The Rev. Mr. Paul Keenan ordained a transitional deacon in East Lansing, MI, on June 6, 2026. Photo courtesy of Valerie Hendrickson and Grace Hendrickson.

The eventual service of the Rev. Mr. Keenan and other Catholic chaplain candidates is greatly anticipated by the Navy, which, like all other branches of the U.S. Military, seeks more Catholic chaplains to relieve a shortage. Currently, the Navy has only 55 priests on active duty and 16 in the Reserve, serving a Catholic population of more than 130,000 Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and their families, spread worldwide.

Young men interested in discerning a priestly vocation, and the vocation within a vocation to serve those who serve in the U.S. military, can find more information at milarch.org/vocations, or may contact AMS Vocations Director Father Paul-Anthony Halladay, CH (MAJ), USA (Ret.), at v[email protected] or (202) 719-3600.

Gifts in support of AMS Vocations are gratefully accepted at milarch.org/donate.

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